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Sunday, September 2, 2012

For three decades — since the days of Jerry Falwell and Ronald Reagan — Bill Moyers has been chronicling the trajectory of the religious right’s influence on American politics. Here’s a collection of some outstanding moments from his reporting.

"Joshua Ashley here, checking in and generating traffic for your blog. Why aren't there any ads I can click and get you some revenue? "

Thank you.

I am looking for any and all comments, but did not see that one coming.

This blog is about education, students, the field of communication and how current affairs and diversity of thought contribute to that field.

The blog that is on Angel does not allow mulitple sections or much in the way of active outside links, outreach or access. I felt these are needed since I teach multiple sections and have outside interests in the blog itself.

It is a great place for students to share with each other, as well as to present to you as students a wide range of potential speech topics, communication concepts and ways to reach out to each other and your professor.

Feel free to e-mail me at art.lynch@artlynch.org with suggested topics, things you have written or any questions or ideas.

New greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards
will nearly double the distance average cars go on a gallon of gas by
2025. These new rules are expected to further reduce U.S. dependence on
foreign oil and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The standards come as the
United States has already made significant progress in weaning itself
from foreign oil. Both the Obama and Bush administrations tightened fuel
economy standards, which has resulted in a reduction in demand for oil
and domestic oil production has increased.

by Greg Myre

APBrowne is pictured in 1965 while working as a correspondent for the Associated Press in Saigon, South Vietnam.

Malcolm Browne was a first-rate reporter who spent decades at The New York Times, covered wars around the world and won the Pulitzer Prize for his writing about the early days of the Vietnam war.

And
yet he will forever be remembered for one famous picture, the 1963
photo of a Buddhist monk who calmly set himself on fire on the streets
of Saigon to protest against the South Vietnamese government, which was
being supported by the U.S.

In a war
that would produce many shocks to the American public, Browne's photo
was one of the first and remains an iconic image of the war a
half-century later.

Browne, 81, died Monday at a New Hampshire hospital. He had been suffering from Parkinson's disease in recent years.

Browne
went to Vietnam as a young reporter for the AP when the war was in its
early stages, a small conflict well below the radar for most Americans.

Journalist
Malcome Browne took this iconic photo of the self-immolation of
Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc in Saigon in 1963. The monk committed
suicide to protest what he called government persecution of Buddhists.
Browne, who worked for the AP and later The New York Times, died Monday
at age 81.

In an interview last year with Time,
Browne detailed how the famous photo came about. He said he had
cultivated contacts with monks who had become active in opposing the
government. He told Time:

"Along
about springtime (1963), the monks began to hint that they were going
to pull off something spectacular by way of protest ...
"The
monks were telephoning the foreign correspondents in Saigon to warn
them that something big was going to happen. Most of the correspondents
were kind of bored with that threat after a while and tended to ignore
it. I felt that they were certainly going to do something, that they
were not just bluffing, so it came to be that I was really the only
Western correspondent that covered the fatal day."

The photo had an immediate impact.

As the AP noted in its story
on Browne's death, "The photos he took appeared on front pages around
the globe and sent shudders all the way to the White House, prompting
President John F. Kennedy to order a re-evaluation of his
administration's Vietnam policy."

Opposition
to the South Vietnamese government continued to grow in the months that
followed. On Nov. 1, 1963, about five months after Browne's photo was
taken, a group of South Vietnamese generals, with tacit U.S. backing,
carried out a coup against South Vietnam's president, Ngo Dinh Diem.

Browne's
photo and his reporting pointed to the complicated nature of the
Vietnam war that would last for more than a decade and cause great
divisions in the U.S.

Browne wrote a memoir in 1993, called Muddy Boots and Red Socks,
saying that he "did not go to Vietname harboring any opposition to
America's role in the Vietnamese civil war." However, he went on to say
that the "shadow war" carried out by the Kennedy administration changed
his views.

After leaving the AP, Browne went on to work for the Times for three decades as a foreign correspondent and a science writer.

Browne is among a trio of AP journalists who distinguished themselves during the Vietnam war and have died recently.

EnlargePeter Arnett/APBrowne (left) is seen with AP photographer Horst Faas in the Saigon office, April 3, 1964.

Photographer Horst Faas, who won one of his two Pulitzer prizes in Vietnam, died in his native Germany in May at age 79.

And reporter George Esper,
who was also 79, died in February. Esper was such a dogged reporter
that he remained in Saigon and reported on its fall to the North
Vietnamese on April 30, 1975, when the few remaining Americans evacuated
by helicopter from rooftops. Esper, still working in the AP bureau, was
asked to leave the country a short while later by North Vietnamese
soldiers.

After 27 years of writing wickedly funny lyrics and sketches for Forbidden Broadway, the tiny off-Broadway comedy that satirizes Broadway musicals, Gerard Alessandrini decided to hang things up for a while.

"I
just thought, let's see what happens to Broadway in a year or two or
three, and then, if we feel it warrants a new edition of Forbidden Broadway, we'll do that," he says. "And that's exactly what happened."
The new edition, called Forbidden Broadway: Alive and Kicking!, opens Sept. 6, skewering The Book of Mormon, Once and Newsies, among others. And, as in past shows, Alessandrini says anything having to do with Broadway is fair game.

Carol Rosegg/Forbidden Broadway

Natalie Charle Ellis and Jenny Lee Stern get their Marilyn on in the Smash parody "Let Me Be Subpar," with help from Marcus Stevens.

"This year, the offshoot is Smash, the
TV show that is about the mounting of a Broadway musical," Alessandrini
explains. "I think everybody in the theater community has been watching
it, and they use a lot of Broadway personalities."

In Smash, two actresses, played by onetime American Idol
contestant Katherine McPhee and Broadway baby Megan Hilty, compete to
play the role of Marilyn Monroe in a new musical. Real Broadway
songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who wrote Hairspray, did the songs.

"The
tune that we use is 'Let Me Be Your Star,' and it's actually a
wonderful song, I mean, the music's terrific and the lyrics are great,"
enthuses Alessandrini. "I mean, it's as good as any Broadway showstopper
from 1960, you know?"

But a healthy appreciation for the original doesn't deter him from his satiric mission.

"What
I like to do to the lyrics is turn them inside out — that's the way I
look at them," he says. "How can I take the lyric and sort of be true to
the lyric and yet turn it inside out, or on its ear?"

So "Let Me Be Your Star" has become "Let Me Be Subpar."

Alessandrini has also worked his critique of the TV series into the lyrics.

"Sometimes I wonder, when I'm watching Smash,
I wonder: 'Boy, that doesn't really look like the life I lead living in
New York,' " he says. "I don't know. It doesn't look or sound like it.
But maybe they'll work all that out."

As scathing as Alessandrini's parodies can be, they're all done with a certain amount of love and reverence.
"Well,
I certainly do love theater and I love Broadway musicals, and I really
love many of the performers that we make fun of constantly, like
Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone — I just adore them. And I try to put
that message on the end of every show, so that there's a sentiment that
at least says, 'Well, if Broadway isn't great now, maybe if we keep our
eye on the prize, it can get better.' "

No, not proof that there were Roman vampires, unless you count raping a lands national resources to enrich Rome herself. Massive underground gold mines, long since stripped of high grade ore, using the technology of Ancient Rome. Artifacts totally preserved.

Now an American-Russian joint corporation, Russia-Montana Mining, wants to strip mine the area for the lower grade of gold and other ores the forested area has to offer. They promise to preserve and finance the best of the Roman ruins and mines, and create archaeological sites and museums, in exchange for mining the vast area, including destroying other Roman mines and artifacts.

The Romanian government has put the giant strip mine on hold,
but not for historic preservation. They claim the 20% stake in
the mine they have been offered is too small.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed "Wicked" at the Smith Center last
night. On a six week run, this is a pricey but must see show for anyone
who loves theater, musicals or has children 8 and up whom they want to
introduce to live theater. It gives a new take as a prequel and back
story telling of "The Wizard of Oz" with the wicked witch and good witch
as school roommates and friends.The Equity players take us through a
fast, enjoyable and very complete story, leaving us wanting more.

My recommendation is to see the show.

Go in through the regular doors...many are funneled through slow and crowded revolving doors.

A few notes for the Smith Centre.

It is as well built, designed and impressive inside as presented in all the pre-opening hype.

Seats for a six foot four person are a bit close together, but very comfortable none-the-less.

Sound and sight lines are fantastic!

The valet takes too long and it is too hard to get to the self park. You
are routed through valet like it or not on your way to self park.
Recovery time on vehicles is also longer than casino's, despite a strong
crew of hustling drivers.

Lines for the too few bars were long and prices high.

The promise of an affordable evening for most Las Vegans are not evident
in the price structure and logistics of the Smith Center, at least for a
sold out performance of "Wicked".

I am being picky, as "Wicked" is worth making that once in a long while
excursion to the theater for anyone who has any feeling that they may
enjoy a live musical.

By
EILENE ZIMMERMAN

Q. You know of several high-level professionals who
have used a career coach. What are some reasons that you or others
might do the same?

Evan Hughes

A. Professionals enlist coaches to accelerate their
careers, getting help with things like making decisions, cultivating a
presence and achieving self-awareness. Coaches can provide honest,
unfiltered feedback, which is hard to find at the highest levels of an
organization, says Joseph R. Weintraub, a psychologist and director of the Coaching for Leadership and Teamwork Program at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass.

Through conversations with direct reports, peers, customers and
managers, coaches seek to gain a realistic picture of the client.
“People who give this feedback to the coach are often not willing or
able to give it directly to the executive,” says Mr. Weintraub,
co-author with James M. Hunt of “The Coaching Manager: Developing Top Talent in Business.”

For midlevel professionals, a coach can help identify what needs to be
done to reach the executive level. Coaches also focus on interpersonal
skills, helping people communicate and network more effectively, says Todd Dewett, a leadership development coach and management professor at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

People benefit most from coaches if they are open to change, says Mr.
Dewett, adding that the best candidates are often those who have already
been working on their own to improve.

Q. Many people claim to be coaches, and there are a variety of certifications. What should you look for when hiring?

A. Unlike a psychologist or psychotherapist, a coach does not need to take a test or obtain a license, so beware. Patti Johnson,
chief executive of PeopleResults, a coaching and human resources
consulting firm in Irving, Tex., says that checking with an organization
like the International Coach Federation,
which independently certifies coaches, is one place to start. But she
says the best way to find a talented coach is through a referral.

Chemistry and comfort level are important, so interview potential
coaches and meet face to face. Before working together, you and your
coach should be clear about what is confidential and what will be shared
with your manager.

Mr. Dewett warns against coaches who guarantee results. “A coach can
help you if you’re open to it, but they shouldn’t guarantee anything,”
he says.

Q. What will this cost, and who pays — you or your company?

A. The company often pays for coaching at senior or
executive levels, and it can be quite expensive. Mr. Weintraub says it
isn’t unusual for six months of executive coaching to cost $30,000 or
$40,000.

Paying out of your own pocket can cost several hundred dollars an hour.
According to the International Coach Federation, the global average cost
for an hour with an executive coach is $320; for all types of
business-focused coaching, the average is $280. It may be worth it,
though, if you are thinking about significantly changing your role in
the company or leaving to do something else, Mr. Weintraub says.

Q. What typically happens during a coaching session?

A. Generally, the coach asks a lot of questions, says Glo Harris,
an executive coach with a background in psychotherapy who is based in
Oakland, Calif. “I ask my clients what brought them to coaching, what
brings them the most pleasure at work, what keeps them up at night,” she
says.

This type of coaching is fairly common with senior and midlevel
executives, who reflect on the questions and often come up with their
own solutions, Mr. Weintraub says.

Meetings between coach and client are commonly scheduled twice a month. A
client may use the time to set both long- and short-term goals. “I
might say to a client: ‘For this month or for our next session, what do
you want to do to move forward in this area?’ ” Ms. Johnson says.

Coaches may receive calls on the fly from clients who may need a
momentary confidence booster or a question answered, says Ms. Harris,
like “I’m walking into a meeting — can you help me with my opening
line?”

About Me

Actor, Casting Director, Director, Broadcaster, Writer, Singer, Artistic
Director, Dramatur, Producer, Professor, Coach, Husband, Grandfather, Marketing
Professional and life long student Art Lynch joined the staff of John Robert
Powers in 1999. Lynch is also an adjunct professor at the Community College of
Southern Nevada, the Morning Edition Weekend Host for Nevada Public Radio and
one of 67 individuals who represent 126,000 actors as a member of the Board of
Directors of the Screen Actors Guild. He is the past president of the Nevada
Branch of the Screen Actors Guild and of the Professional Audio/Visual Communications
Association. A resident of Nevada since 1984, Lynch has an MA in Communications
from UNLV and a BA in Theater, Speech and Mass Communications from the
University of Illinois, Chicago. He is currently pursuing post-graduate studies
in theater, education and the entertainment industry. Art Lynch studied and
practiced the craft of acting in Chicago and California before settling in
Nevada. With his wife Laura, Art owned and operated a successful marketing
company with national clientele. Art was personally responsible for casting and
directing over 1,000 commercials and industrials, as well as assisting on film
and television projects in many ways. His career also includes earning awards
as a wire service, magazine and broadcast journalist. He is most proud,
however, of his daughters. Ann is a PhD in neuroscience and Beth is the proud
mother of his grandchildren, Evan and Elijah.

Short Film Festival

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